Citizens Can Help Design Poquoson's Future

April 20, 1995|By JEFFREY J. MIHELICH

POQUOSON — The city of Poquoson is about to begin the public phase of planning for its future. As we prepare to revise the city's comprehensive development plan, our most important planning document, it is worthwhile to look at how Poquoson has evolved over the past 350 years.

Settlement of the Poquoson area was opened in 1628 by order of the Council of State at Jamestown. Many of the early settlers were plantation owners who, with their tenants and apprentices, originally lived south of the Back River. "The Great Marsh" area was originally divided into many small plantations, but was later merged into a massive patent of 1695 acres in 1663.

The Great Marsh along with Messick Point (originally called Boar Quarter Point) and Tinkersheires Neck were all important shipping points as early as 1635 for tobacco and other products from the plantations. After the Revolutionary War, and especially during the period of the War of 1812, the larger Colonial plantations were sold into smaller farms because they were no longer able to survive financially.

For more than 100 years Poquoson remained a "backwater" farming and fishing community. Poquoson's rural lifestyle started to change during World War I with the construction of Langley Air Force Base. More rapid change and population growth occurred in the years following World War II. Farming and fishing quickly gave way to suburbanization. This suburbanization trend has continued with Poquoson having a 1995 population of 11,300 after 2 1/2 decades of substantial growth.

With the ongoing growth of Hampton Roads, and particularly southern York County, there will be continued commercial and residential development pressures on the city of Poquoson. Now we need to create a plan to deal with these growth pressures, and to ensure that the plan is responsive to citizen needs and concerns. Effective land-use planning is an essential part of any plan. As we proceed, we need to be mindful of traditional functions such as education and public safety. But newer issues are also pushing for recognition.

How will we obtain adequate recreational facilities for the community? What should we do about increasing traffic volumes on our roadways? How can we encourage economic development to broaden our tax base?

When economic development occurs, what measures should we have in place to ensure that new businesses meet the community's high architectural and design standards? What can we do to maintain the city's excellent school system and low crime rate? Can we do all these things and still protect the environment and our small town atmosphere?

The questions are difficult; for some, there may be no good answers that lie within our control. Yet our ability to influence our future depends on how hard we try. In many respects, the lengthy process we go through in discussing our future will be just as important as the final plan itself.

Everyone who participates in the discussion will make an important contribution to reaching our goals.

* Mihelich is the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Poquoson .

PUBLIC INPUT

* Poquoson residents can attend public input sessions for the Comprehensive Development Plan and share their vision for the city's future. The meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m. May 11 and May 18 in the auditorium at Poquoson High School.